Chapter 33: Real Estate

Just as Yang Zhi was interpreting the dream, Wang Anshi had already ascended to the third floor.

He held such metaphysical practices as dream interpretation in disdain, but for the sake of helping Su Ze, Wang Anshi humbled himself and addressed Yang Zhi at the table:

"Master Yang."

Yang Zhi looked up, surprised to see Wang Anshi.

Wang Anshi already enjoyed a reputation for brilliance in Bianjing; even the father-in-law of Yang Zhi's own elder brother, the current Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, Yan Shu, had spoken highly of Wang Anshi’s talents.

Yan Shu’s own literary genius was known to all in Bianjing; his verses, "How can the fallen flowers be helped? The swallows I once knew return," were sung throughout the realm, and even the Liao State knew the name of this Prime Minister.

Yang Zhi looked at Wang Anshi, who wore a coarse cloth robe and a disheveled appearance that stood in stark contrast to the silk-clad, well-fed scholars at the table. It was no wonder many scholars believed Wang Anshi deliberately cultivated a ragged look simply to court fame and reputation.

However, Yang Zhi also knew that Wang Anshi possessed genuine talent, so he said to him:

"Master Wang is a rare guest indeed. Please, take a seat!"

The scholars accompanying Yang Zhi made room for Wang Anshi to sit beside him.

Wang Anshi felt uneasy in such a setting, but since he was there to seek help, he sat beside Yang Zhi. Yang Zhi poured him a cup of wine and asked:

"What brings Master Wang here today? What guidance do you have for us?"

Wang Anshi replied candidly:

"I have come for a friend."

"For a friend?"

Wang Anshi continued:

"Su Ze of Kaifeng is a close friend of mine. I have heard that someone intends to slander his reputation, so I wished to inquire about the matter from you, Brother Yang."

Yang Zhi looked at Wang Anshi and said:

"Why go to such lengths, Brother Wang? The Imperial Academy case has nothing to do with you, and with the Ministry of Rites examinations right around the corner, why stir up unnecessary trouble?"

But Wang Anshi insisted:

"I am merely speaking up for Brother Su. If the Great Song were to lose a talent because of this affair, it would be a true tragedy."

As a fellow man of letters, Yang Zhi felt a sense of camaraderie with Wang Anshi, so he said:

"This matter runs deep. Are you sure you want to hear it, Brother Wang?"

Wang Anshi’s face lit up; clearly, Yang Zhi knew the inside story. He urged:

"Please, Master Yang, enlighten me!"

Yang Zhi addressed those around him:

"Allow me a moment to speak with Master Wang in private."

The others dispersed, leaving only Yang Zhi and Wang Anshi. Yang Zhi whispered:

"The investigation into the Imperial Academy case was personally commissioned by Censor-in-Chief Wang. During Song Tianzhang’s tenure, he visited the Academy fewer than three times a year and failed to observe the lockdown protocols for examinations, leaving to host banquets as soon as he had finished setting the papers."

Wang Anshi was shocked. The "Censor-in-Chief Wang" referred to was the incumbent Censor-in-Chief, Wang Gongchen.

This man was a core figure of the conservative faction, a confidant of Prime Minister Lü Yijian, and a strong contender for the position of Assistant Councilor of State.

As the head of the Censorate, the Censor-in-Chief was one of the four most powerful officials in the imperial court, and Wang Gongchen himself was adept at fabricating charges.

"Song Tianzhang" was none other than Song Qi, a drafter at the Tianzhang Pavilion and one of the "Four Friends of the Tianzhang Pavilion."

It stood to reason that as the official in charge of the Imperial Academy, Song Qi should have lectured there frequently, but as a drafter at the Tianzhang Pavilion, he was required to be constantly at the Emperor's side to draft edicts. Visiting the Academy only three times a year was a clear case of looking for a pretext to find fault.

However, failing to follow the lockdown protocol was indeed a transgression.

According to the Song Dynasty examination system, examiners were required to remain within the examination compound after setting the questions until the examinations concluded.

This system was similar to the isolation of question-setters in later generations—a means of preventing cheating.

Although the Imperial Academy examination was not the Ministry of Rites examination, examiners were still expected to adhere to the lockdown.

Song Qi’s return home immediately after setting the questions was an act that invited suspicion, giving the censors an excuse to impeach him and call into question the fairness of the Imperial Academy examinations he oversaw, suggesting there might have been corruption involved.

Lü Yijian, Wang Gongchen, the Four Friends of the Tianzhang Pavilion—these names flashed through Wang Anshi’s mind. Could it be that Brother Su was merely an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of these powerful figures?

Yang Zhi looked at Wang Anshi and said sincerely:

"Brother Wang, this matter is of great consequence. We have yet to earn our degrees; it would be unwise to get involved."

No, that wasn't it!

Wang Anshi thought to himself: Song Qi was in charge of the Imperial Academy, and a great number of scholars had qualified for the provincial examinations during that term—several were even present at this very table. Why single out Su Ze?

Someone was definitely targeting Su Ze.

Having gathered the information, Wang Anshi thanked Yang Zhi earnestly and hurried toward Su Ze’s small dwelling.

***

As the saying goes, even a servant at a Prime Minister's gate holds the rank of a seventh-grade official. As the gatekeeper for the current Prime Minister, Lü Yijian, "Old Man Lü" naturally possessed a certain air of authority.

But when facing this middle-aged merchant wearing a traditional turban, Old Man Lü wore a sycophantic smile:

"Guild Leader Feng, the Second Young Master is waiting for you!"

The middle-aged man casually took a string of copper coins from his sleeve, handed them to Old Man Lü, and walked into the Prime Minister’s residence—a place ordinary officials could never enter—as if he were walking into his own home.

The servants of the residence stepped aside and bowed, but this "Guild Leader Feng" pulled at his turban, covering the tattoos on his face.

This Guild Leader Feng was none other than Feng Shiyuan, a minor clerk from the Kaifeng Prefecture who had been convicted and exiled by Zheng Jian years ago. After his conviction, he had been tattooed and sent to serve in the military on Hainan Island.

But after Zheng Jian fell from power, Feng Shiyuan was immediately pardoned and secretly returned to Bianjing.

Though he had a criminal record and his former position in the Kaifeng Prefecture had been filled, he could no longer serve as a clerk.

However, with the support of the two sons of Prime Minister Lü Yijian, Feng Shiyuan had transformed himself into the guild leader of the Bianjing Real Estate Association.

In the Song Dynasty, commerce was highly developed, and guilds had naturally emerged.

Merchants within the same industry joined together to gain the power to bargain with the government. For instance, the seventy-two main wine houses in the capital functioned like a restaurant and beverage guild.

The Real Estate Association was the organization responsible for the construction, sale, and rental of property in Bianjing.

Living in Bianjing was notoriously difficult.

The issue of housing prices in the city had plagued officials and commoners alike since the reign of the founding Emperor.

Ouyang Xiu, for example, despite being a high-ranking official as a Hanlin Academician, still lived in a rented house and had once written a poem to vent his frustrations: "The neighbor's water overflows the drains, the street floods the courtyard. I worry about the vast expanse when I step out, and fear it will become a pond when I close the door."

With such exorbitant housing prices, rental costs soared as well, leading the powerful elite of the capital to become obsessed with buying and flipping properties.

When Feng Shiyuan served in the Kaifeng Prefecture, he had used his position to befriend the Prime Minister's sons, Lü Gongbi and Lü Gongzhu, secretly helping the Lü family manage their property sales and rental business.

Feng Shiyuan walked forward. The residence of the Prime Minister, Lü Yijian, was certainly not as shabby as the home of the rent-paying Ouyang Xiu.

The mansion was filled with carved beams and painted pillars, and Feng Shiyuan passed through an elegant garden within the grounds.

Arriving at the rear quarters of the mansion, Feng Shiyuan was led by a servant into a room.

In the main seat, a man in his thirties smiled at Feng Shiyuan. It was none other than the Second Young Master of the Lü family, Lü Gongbi.